New Sustainability Standard Addresses Disaster Resistance

To aid local governments to adopt high-performance green building codes, the Portland Cement Association (PCA) and the Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) have developed High Performance Building Requirements for Sustainability 2.0. It includes the concepts in most other sustainability or green standards, while also enhancing disaster resistance.

"A sustainable building with a higher degree of durability can decrease the amount of materials going to landfills and use of community resources when disasters occur,” says Steve Szoke, PCA director of codes and standards. “The PCA/IHBS ordinance provides mandatory requirements for increased resistance to natural disasters with the goals of reducing the number of destroyed buildings, protecting property, and saving human life."